Hyperfiltration systems are generally of limited length, generally single support sections, due to the poor structural characteristics of the membrane supports which have been utilized in the past. Such membrane supports have been of limited structural strength because they are generally constructed of porous ceramic material, which includes carbon supports and the like. Thus, it has been necessary to fabricate a number of hyperfiltration modules which generally contain tubes in parallel with the modules staged in series such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,740. According to the prior art as set forth in The Biennial Progress Report for the period Mar. 15, 1968 to Mar. 15, 1970, Separations Processing for the Office of Saline Water, U.S. Department of the Interior, membranes are unsatisfactory when used in connection with stainless steel porous tubes or support members. While supports heretofore employed had maximum lengths of generally about four feet single pass systems as contemplated herein are of substantial length.
Ceramic supports are not strong enough to be utilized in practical single pass systems of sufficient length for industrial uses such as in a textile finishing operation because they are not strong enough to withstand the pressures necessitated in such systems even if they could be fabricated and because such cannot be fabricated utilizing practical techniques of fabrication.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide an integrated and continuous flow system which will cut down on horsepower requirements with improved separation characteristics.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a method of fluid treatment wherein wash water effluent from textile finishing processing containing polyvinyl alcohol or other textile sizing materials may be concentrated by removing permeate through hyperfiltration. The concentrate may be stored in a tank for re-use in the slasher of the textile finishing operation while the permeate may also serve wash water or as a flush water for the entire system.
Dye formulation recovery is another area of special usefulness in the textile industry but the invention has utility in treating industrial fluid treatment process effluents separating such effluents into a concentrate and a permeate of relatively pure water. Hyperfiltration as used herein contemplates the separation of suspended and dissolved materials including those removed by reverse osmosis as well as ultrafiltration.